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12/10/2005
Campaigners call for lower village speed limits
Rural campaigners are urging the government to introduce 30mph speed limits in villages.
A survey by the Campaign to Protect Rural England found that 70% of county councils are not implementing a 30mph speed limit in villages. In Buckinghamshire, the researchers found that over 100 villages had a 60mph speed limit.
However, the CPRE said that Dorset county council receives requests to introduce lower speed limits almost every week.
The CPRE said that the cost of introducing lower limits on a case-by-case basis is expensive, costing around £6,000 per time. At current rates, the survey suggested, it would be 2027 before Cambridgeshire addressed all the villages on its waiting list.
The CPRE is urging the government to introduce a national 30mph default speed limit for villages, as part of the Road Safety Bill.
Paul Hamblin, CPRE’s Head of Transport Policy, said: “We know lower speeds save lives and make places less threatening. The waiting list for villages needing help from speeding traffic is unacceptable. Villages are places where people live – not simple places you drive through. We need Ministers to take action by introducing a default 30mph limit.”
The CPRE said that the default 30mph speed limit would have a number of advantages, including eliminating the need for expensive Traffic Regulation Orders and reducing the need for expensive signage.
Mr Hamblin added: “Over five years ago, the Prime Minister said that 30mph should be the normal speed limit for villages. But our survey shows demand for action far outstripping action on the ground. With a Road Safety Bill before Parliament, now is the time to act.”
(KMcA/SP)
A survey by the Campaign to Protect Rural England found that 70% of county councils are not implementing a 30mph speed limit in villages. In Buckinghamshire, the researchers found that over 100 villages had a 60mph speed limit.
However, the CPRE said that Dorset county council receives requests to introduce lower speed limits almost every week.
The CPRE said that the cost of introducing lower limits on a case-by-case basis is expensive, costing around £6,000 per time. At current rates, the survey suggested, it would be 2027 before Cambridgeshire addressed all the villages on its waiting list.
The CPRE is urging the government to introduce a national 30mph default speed limit for villages, as part of the Road Safety Bill.
Paul Hamblin, CPRE’s Head of Transport Policy, said: “We know lower speeds save lives and make places less threatening. The waiting list for villages needing help from speeding traffic is unacceptable. Villages are places where people live – not simple places you drive through. We need Ministers to take action by introducing a default 30mph limit.”
The CPRE said that the default 30mph speed limit would have a number of advantages, including eliminating the need for expensive Traffic Regulation Orders and reducing the need for expensive signage.
Mr Hamblin added: “Over five years ago, the Prime Minister said that 30mph should be the normal speed limit for villages. But our survey shows demand for action far outstripping action on the ground. With a Road Safety Bill before Parliament, now is the time to act.”
(KMcA/SP)
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